Monday, March 26, 2012

Lisa Ackerman of Orange, California writes in:

Hi Alan,

I know that this isn’t exactly “Steuben” related event, but Thomas Buechner definitely has ties to The Corning Museum of Glass. I remember getting to meet him in the restaurant at The Radisson on my first trip to Corning, and he noticed me reading a book on CMOG. He showed me his favorite piece in the collection, pictured in the book.

I should have sent this to you earlier, but just found out about it today as I read the March 19th edition of Antique Week.

Neat to see what this art lover and painter collected. 🙂 Lisa

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Well, Lisa I’m just delighted you sent this piece in. You question whether it is related to Carder Steuben. Let me suggest such a connection. The late Thomas Buechner (1926-2010) was the founding director of CMoG and a mentor to the studio art glass movement. Mr. Buechner described his life as “one long, glorious museum field trip,” This trip included being serving as president of Steuben Glass and president of CMoG. He also helped found the Rockwell Museum and served for 10 years as its President. Let’s not forget that the immense 2,500+ collection of Carder’s glass in Building “B” at CMoG is owned by and was elegantly displayed for many years prior to 2000 at the Rockwell.

In Mary Jean Madigan’s tome, “Steuben Glass, An American Tradition in Crystal” at page 49 the author stays:

“In the words of Tom Buechner, who was Steuben’s president from 1973 to 1981 and who knew Carder well in his later years, the man from Brierley Hill was ‘a one-man band.’ He experimented on and perfected the formula for Steuben’s various melts, designed both the shape and decoration of the glass, hired the workers, administered the factory, and planned the sales and marketing for the glass through a network of travelling Steuben salesmen.”

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2012 Carder Steuben Club annual Symposium will be held at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY from September 20-22, 2012.